Lee Jae-yong reviews next-generation chip technologies at Samsung R&D and manufacturing hubs SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong visited the company's Giheung and Hwaseong semiconductor campuses on Monday to review research progress and manufacturing readiness for upcoming memory and system semiconductor technologies. Lee toured the NRD-K complex in Giheung, Samsung's advanced R&D hub dedicated to next-generation memory, foundry and system semiconductor development. The facility focuses on overcoming scaling limits in cutting-edge process nodes and strengthening design capabilities for future chip architectures, according to the company. He later visited the Hwaseong campus to examine the rollout of manufacturing automation systems incorporating digital-twin and robotics technologies, as well as ongoing applications of AI in production processes. During the visit, Lee held discussions with senior semiconductor executives, including Jun Young-hyun, head of the DS division, and CTO Song Jae-hyuk, on global market trends and the company's mid- to long-term strategy. Lee also met engineers involved in commercializing Samsung's latest products—including HBM, D1c-class DRAM and V10-generation NAND—to hear feedback on development, manufacturing and quality challenges. "We must restore our fundamental technological competitiveness through bold innovation and investment," Lee said during the visit. 2025-12-22 21:15:00

Samsung HBM4 scores well with Nvidia, unnerving memory end users amid tight supply SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is poised to share next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM) orders for Nvidia’s upcoming Rubin artificial-intelligence accelerator with SK hynix, after earning strong evaluations in final sample testing by Nvidia, people familiar with the matter said. Samsung is said to have received one of the most favorable assessments in early system-in-package (SiP) validation for its HBM4, marking a sharp turnaround from earlier hurdles in supplying HBM3 to Nvidia. The results position Samsung as a credible second supplier alongside SK hynix, the pioneer of AI-optimized HBM. According to industry sources, Samsung’s HBM4 performance gains stem from its use of a next-generation base die built on the D1c process node, compared with the D1b nodes used by rivals, as well as its in-house 4-nanometer logic technology. “There are speed requirements the product must meet, and ours is performing well,” a Samsung official said. “Using the D1c base die gives us stronger characteristics, and our 4-nanometer process further enhances performance when integrated.” Samsung acknowledged that expanding HBM production inevitably competes with conventional DRAM wafer capacity, but said recent investments should help cushion the impact. “HBM does take up a substantial amount of DRAM capacity,” the spokesperson said. “But we have expanded overall capacity significantly over the past two years — nearly doubling it — so the impact should be smaller than the market fears.” HBM relies on three-dimensional stacking, with multiple memory dies placed vertically and connected through through-silicon vias (TSVs). The architecture allows memory to sit closer to CPUs and GPUs via interposers, sharply reducing latency while improving bandwidth and power efficiency. Conventional DDR memory, by contrast, uses a two-dimensional layout in which chips are arranged side-by-side. As hyperscale data-center investment accelerates, South Korea’s newest fabs are increasingly being dedicated to HBM production, heightening supply concerns across the broader memory market. Device makers — from automakers to PC manufacturers — have begun stockpiling mainstream DRAM amid fears of shortages. “The effect is already visible,” said Yangpaeng Kim, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade. “DDR5 fixed-transaction prices have risen roughly fivefold from a year earlier, and this appears closely linked to capacity shifts toward HBM. Price volatility is likely to remain elevated.” Spot prices for standard DRAM have climbed more than 60 percent over the past six months and are expected to reach $500 in the first quarter of 2026 — double the level of a year earlier — according to market researcher TrendForce. Ahn Ki-hyeon, executive director at the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association, said HBM demand is likely to continue exerting upward pressure on mainstream memory. “Demand-side momentum remains strong, giving DRAM prices a high likelihood of moving higher,” he said. While SK hynix retains a technological edge in stacking — including advanced 16-high TSV architectures — Samsung’s improving SiP-level stability, spanning thermal management, power behavior and GPU-package signal integrity, is seen as a meaningful step toward potential qualification for Nvidia’s Vera Rubin platform. With memory prices expected to rise into early 2026, the balance between HBM expansion and conventional DRAM supply is emerging as a critical industry fault line. Whether Samsung can scale HBM4 production while preserving adequate capacity for DDR5 and LPDDR is likely to shape pricing, supply stability and competitiveness across the next cycle of AI infrastructure and consumer electronics. 2025-12-22 18:04:43

Dedicated gallery for ancient gilt-bronze masterpiece opens in Buyeo SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - The Buyeo National Museum is set to open a dedicated exhibition hall on Tuesday, exclusively showcasing one of South Korea’s most celebrated artifacts: a gilt-bronze incense burner of the Baekje Kingdom. Unearthed on Dec. 12, 1993, at a temple site in Buyeo, the incense burner is regarded as a pinnacle of ancient craftsmanship. Its intricate design — featuring a dragon base, a phoenix finial, and a body adorned with immortals, exotic animals, and five musicians — serves as a profound distillation of the Baekje Kingdom’s religious ideology and worldview. According to museum officials, the new space aims to offer a more immersive experience for visitors. "While our permanent galleries allow visitors to appreciate the overall elegance and harmony of Baekje culture, this new space is specifically curated to let the public experience the true essence of the incense burner in a focused environment," a museum spokesman said. "The exhibition demonstrates how a single relic can represent the pinnacle of an era's art, technology, and philosophy." 2025-12-22 17:43:18

North Korea-linked hackers found distributing malware via word files SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - A North Korea-linked hacking group has been detected running a cyber operation code-named "Artemis," which distributes malware through word files. South Korean cybersecurity firm Genians said on Monday that it traced the operation, which is believed to have been carried out by the group known as APT37. The operation started with spear-phishing emails disguising others to evade detection by security software. When victims opened the files, malicious hyperlinks enabled attackers to gain access to their systems. The development comes after APT37 sent a seemingly highly credible email message to a university professor in late August, gullible enough to fall for it. The group has apparently honed its tactics for cyberattacks over the months since. 2025-12-22 17:24:18

South Korean stocks lead broader Asian rally SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - South Korean stocks rallied on Monday, with the benchmark KOSPI reclaiming the 4,100 mark as Asian equity markets advanced broadly. In Seoul, the KOSPI rose 2.1 percent to close at 4,105.93, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ gained 1.5 percent to 929.14. Foreign investors turned net buyers for the first time in six sessions, helping lift the main index. Institutional investors bought a net 1.6 trillion won ($1.1 billion) worth of shares, while foreigners purchased 1.1 trillion won on the main board. Samsung Electronics climbed 4 percent to 110,500 won, and chipmaker SK hynix surged 6 percent to 580,000 won. LG Energy Solution, the third-largest company by market capitalization, rose 2.8 percent to 389,500 won. Investment holding company SK Square jumped 8.4 percent to 315,000 won. Samsung Life Insurance advanced 3.4 percent to 160,300 won, while Korea Zinc gained 5.6 percent to 1,383,000 won. Among the top 10 blue chips, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries was the biggest decliner, falling 1.3 percent to 514,000 won. Japanese shares also rose. The Nikkei 225 added 1.8 percent to 50,402.39. Toyota Motor gained 0.9 percent to 3,455 yen, while Mitsubishi Corp rose 1.9 percent to 2,495 yen. SoftBank Group jumped 4.1 percent to 17,815 yen, and Hitachi climbed 1.9 percent to 5,004 yen. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group rose 0.9 percent to 5,064 yen. Chip-related stocks outperformed, with Tokyo Electron, the ninth-largest company by market value, surging 6.3 percent to 33,170 yen, and Advantest, ranked tenth, gaining 4.5 percent to 20,050 yen. Sony Group, the third-largest by market capitalization, was the sole decliner among the top 10, falling 0.9 percent to 3,960 yen. Market sentiment was shaped by the Bank of Japan’s decision on Friday to raise its key interest rate to 0.75 percent from 0.5 percent, marking another step away from the country’s long-standing ultra-loose monetary policy. In China, the Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.7 percent to 3,917.36. 2025-12-22 17:21:49

S. Korea develops the world's second-fastest bullet train SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - South Korea has finished the development of a next-generation bullet train designed to operate at 370 kilometers per hour, the transport ministry said Monday. The achievement positions South Korea as the world's second-fastest rail operator, after China, to operate commercial rail services at speeds exceeding 350 kilometers per hour. Finalized under a four-year national research and development program, the project focused on the EMU-370. This electric multiple unit is built for a commercial speed of 370 kilometers per hour and a maximum design limit of 407 kilometers per hour. Manufacturing is slated to begin in 2026, with trial runs expected by 2030 and full commercial service following in 2031. The leap in speed moves South Korea ahead of other major rail markets like France, Germany, and Japan, which typically top out at around 320 kilometers per hour. China remains the leader, currently testing a 400 kilometers per hour model for a 2027 launch. The Korea Railroad Research Institute led the 22.5 billion won ($15.2 million) initiative, backed by 18.0 billion won in government funding. Engineers used the existing KTX-Cheongryong platform as a baseline, introducing upgrades to handle the intense aerodynamic resistance and vibration of ultra-high-speed travel. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport reported that the EMU-370 features a 47.4 percent increase in motor output and a 12.3 percent reduction in running resistance. These changes, along with a 30 percent reduction in lateral vibration, are expected to significantly improve ride quality. Officials noted that the EMU-370 could eventually link major cities within a one-hour travel window. For instance, the travel time from Seoul to Busan could be reduced from the current 2 hours and 17 minutes to approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. Beyond domestic use, the government is targeting export opportunities in markets like Vietnam and Poland, where new networks are being planned for speeds of 350 kilometers per hour or higher. "The completion of this project marks a milestone, coming two decades after South Korea introduced high-speed rail," Vice Minister Kang Hee-up said. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport intends to continue its research into third-generation rail technology with an ultimate goal of reaching 400 kilometers per hour in operational speed. 2025-12-22 17:10:48

As won hovers at crisis-era levels, Seoul feels like the world's most expensive city SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - Headline inflation in South Korea remains anchored around the mid-2 percent range, but many households say daily life feels increasingly unaffordable, as a weak won erodes purchasing power and amplifies price pressures across imported goods. Seoul now "feels like the most expensive city in the world," ahead of Tokyo and London, according to a recent British Time Out survey that asked residents in 100 global cities to assess their cost of living. Only 30 percent of respondents in Seoul said they could afford dining out, while just 43 percent said they could comfortably buy a cup of coffee. The ranking places Seoul above Istanbul, Türkiye, where annual inflation stood at 31 percent in November. Korea's consumer price index rose a far more modest 2.4 percent in the same month. The disconnect reflects currency effects rather than headline inflation. Prices feel higher when converted into won, which remains stuck near levels last seen during periods of crisis. The won ended last year at 1,472 per U.S. dollar, sharply weaker than 1,288 at the close of 2023 and 1,264.5 in 2022, amid political turmoil and capital outflows after a disgraceful martial-law stunt. Despite strong exports and a record current-account surplus, the currency still hovers around 1,480 per dollar and is set to average at its weakest ever for this year. Korea's real effective exchange rate (REER) — which measures currency strength against a basket of trading partners, adjusted for inflation — fell to 87.05 in November, approaching 85.47 in the wake of the global financial crisis and 86.63 recorded during the 1998 IMF bailout. The weak currency is feeding through to import costs. The import price index rose 2.6 percent in November, the fastest increase in 19 months, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). While import prices fell 2.3 percent year on year in U.S. dollar terms, they rose 2.2 percent in won terms. This divergence is particularly visible in food and beverage items that Korea relies on imports for. Coffee import prices fell 1 percent in dollar terms from a year earlier, but rose 3.6 percent in won. Wine prices declined 0.2 percent in dollars but climbed 4.4 percent in won. Nut import prices rose 17.7 percent in dollars and an even steeper 23.1 percent in won. Such price pressures are weighing on already-fragile domestic demand. A survey by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry of 300 retail companies nationwide projected retail sales growth of just 0.6 percent next year, which would mark the weakest performance in five years. The chamber cited shrinking consumer sentiment, high inflation, intensifying competition, and heavy household debt as the main drags. Nearly 68 percent of respondents pointed to weak consumer confidence, while 46.5 percent cited inflation. Spending data show early signs of strain. Family expenditure on education fell 0.7 percent in the third quarter, the first quarterly decline in five years. Education is typically one of the last areas that Korean households cut back on. "The foreign exchange market is still dominated by concerns about further depreciation rather than a reversal," said Park Sang-hyun, an analyst at iM Securities. The BOK last month raised its inflation forecast for next year from 2.0 percent to 2.1 percent, warning that if the exchange rate remains around 1,470 per dollar, inflation could reach 2.3 percent. 2025-12-22 16:54:37

No special amnesty planned for Christmas SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - There will be no special amnesty for next week's Christmas and New Year's holidays. According to sources from the ruling Democratic Party (DP) on Monday, President Lee Jae Myung has not started reviewing year-end pardons. Such special pardons typically take about a month from the Justice Ministry's review to a final decision. In August, just two months after taking office, Lee granted pardons to a total of 836,687 people including Cho Kuk, leader of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party serving a prison term for corruption related to his children's university admissions, and Yoon Mi-hyang, former head of a charity for wartime sex slavery victims, who received a three-year suspended sentence for embezzling donations. For this reason, Lee appears to see little need for another round of pardons. Nevertheless, parole could be expanded to address overcrowding in correctional facilities. During a briefing from the ministry last week, Lee instructed officials to grant parole when there is no risk of reoffending and victims have been compensated. 2025-12-22 16:43:01

Lee set to move into Cheong Wa Dae as renovations near completion SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung is expected to move into Cheong Wa Dae in central Seoul soon, as renovations of the sprawling presidential compound are nearly complete. Some staff have already moved in, with the presidential office's daily press briefings resuming there on Monday. Lee's relocation from the current office in Yongsan to Cheong Wa Dae is expected to be completed as early as early as next week. Once moved in, he will have a shared workspace with top aides and key officials, including chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik, policy chief Kim Yong-bum, and national security adviser Wi Sung-lac, to facilitate closer communication with them. Repairs to the official residence are not finished, so Lee is expected to commute from the current residence in Hannam-dong for the time being. Taking office in June this year, Lee vowed to return to the compound but delayed doing so while it underwent repairs needed after several years of public access since May 2022 with the inauguration of his predecessor President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached over his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law last year. Lee has said the Yongsan office has a structure vulnerable to eavesdropping and security risks, making it unsuitable as a presidential workplace. Lee may use Cheong Wa Dae until 2030 during his presidency, but he eventually intends to relocate the office to the administrative city of Sejong, where most ministerial offices and other government agencies have been moved since 2012 as part of efforts to promote balanced regional development. 2025-12-22 16:10:18

Hankook Tire's Hungarian plant donates tires to local community SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - Hankook Tire & Technology said on Monday that its Hungary plant has donated 28,000 tires to local government bodies as well as nonprofit and charitable organizations under a corporate social responsibility initiative launched in 2012. The tire firm said said the initiative reflects the environmental, social and governance (ESG) management philosophy of the company and supports sustainable development in the Hungarian community. This year, the plant provided tire donations to around 130 public agencies and organizations, including groups focused on public safety and social welfare, it said. Recipients included child health organizations such as the Peter Cerny Foundation, which specializes in the rescue and transport of premature infants, and the Saint Martin Children’s Ambulance Service, which provides emergency care for seriously ill children. The company said the donations help ensure the reliable operation of their vehicles. Hankook Tire said it also expanded support to disaster response and environmental protection groups, including the Hungarian Water Rescue Service, the Delta National Disaster Rescue Team and the World Wide Fund for Nature. Additional recipients included volunteer neighborhood watch groups and fire departments, a foundation supporting people with disabilities, and animal protection organizations. Since establishing its Hungary plant in 2008, Hankook Tire has carried out community-focused initiatives across the country each year, including tire donations, infrastructure improvement projects, support for vulnerable households and youth scholarship programs, the company said. 2025-12-22 16:01:35